I'm hoping somebody can supply the following info. I'm about to run a BES 4.0 server in parallel with our present BES 3.6 SP2a infrastructure (with just under 1000 users on it). The BES 4.0 server is for testing purposes, with the ultimate aim of moving everybody onto the new server(s) in a few months time.

My first question is that I obviously need to create a new database for V4.0. Can this be created on the same SQL server as the present 3.6 database, without any problems? They obviously need to be separate as I don't want to touch our present BlackBerry environment

Secondly, when it comes to me building other BES 4.0 servers (one for each data centre), can you have a BlackBerry router installed on each BES server, or is this not advised?

The BB router is installed by default. I don't think there's any problems with it, though I'll ask next time I talk to RIM.

As far as migrating. I *think* you can use 3.6 and 4.0 in tandem, and migrate single users over to test 4.0 with, while not touching the 3.6 users. Don't quote me on this though.

If the above isn't the case, I would take the route of installing a fresh 4.0 copy with MSDE to test with. Put maybe 10 users on it for your companies average "break in" period. Once you are satisfied with 4.0, upgrade. Then you can still use the same database and won't have to go through the trouble of re-activating each user on the new server.

If you have extra SQL licenses, then yes, I think you can create multiple BES databases on the same SQL server. Just make sure to point the new test servers to the alternate database and not existing one until you are ready for users to be upgraded.

As far as migrating. I *think* you can use 3.6 and 4.0 in tandem, and migrate single users over to test 4.0 with, while not touching the 3.6 users. Don't quote me on this though.

You can use the two in tandem (per se), but you cannot move users from server to server as you could if you had two 4.0 servers. Just remove a user from the 3.6 and readd them to the 4.0 - requires a recradle/activation. I would suggest removing previous information/clear statistics when prompted (when removing the user and when adding the user).

Quote:

Originally Posted by PXBB

My first question is that I obviously need to create a new database for V4.0. Can this be created on the same SQL server as the present 3.6 database, without any problems? They obviously need to be separate as I don't want to touch our present BlackBerry environment

SQL can handle multiple database instances. Just name it something different than what the current 3.6 server is named (BESMgmt, by default). You can install the new database instance completely independent from the 3.6 database but on the same server. Also, it will 'touch' your current environment if you choose to use the same service account, but it does not affect it one bit (we're running the same environment - 3.6 SP4 production; 4.0 HF1 test).

__________________In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and is widely regarded as a bad move.

I am currently running both server 3.6 and 4.0 and have migrated single users at a time to the new server for testing purposes. Since the old server is MSDE I installed SQL for the new server and everything is running great and even better then on the 3.6 server. See previous post.

You can use the two in tandem (per se), but you cannot move users from server to server as you could if you had two 4.0 servers. Just remove a user from the 3.6 and readd them to the 4.0 - requires a recradle/activation. I would suggest removing previous information/clear statistics when prompted (when removing the user and when adding the user).

He could run 4.0 on a separate database though, and when satisfied it's going to work for them, then just upgrade the 3.6 to 4.0 without having to recradle right?

Well.. on second though, he's going to have to upgrade the handhelds as well, and that will require reactivation. So might as well start from scratch.

To your first question, yes. But it appears he's wanting to move these to new servers. Although, I think the less hassle for the end-users would be to upgrade an existing 3.6 server to 4.0 (as you mentioned), move the users from 4.0 to 4.0, build up a new 4.0 server (if multiples are needed/wanted) using the SRP of the former 3.6/4.0 that was just taken down.

It sure seems like a backend hassle to do the above, but its a hell of a lot easier than dealing with people who want to complain about recradling.

Although if the luxery does exist that the users have OS4.0 already, then the need to do the above (non-recradling method) will not be required, I don't think. But like you said, if OS and BES have to be upgraded, may as well do it all at once. Expectations will already be set for service interruption.

__________________In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and is widely regarded as a bad move.

I have been doing exactly what you described for several months now. Up until last night, my production server was a v3.6 sp3 with the database being hosted on our SQL server. I installed 4.0 on a different server and hosted the database on the same SQL server, just used a different database name. I moved people from the 3.6 server to the 4.0 test server quite frequently, but never went back after they were on the 4.0 server.